We make it personal

Chloe Hollands recalled how she became really worried as a lack of confidence resulting from her natural shyness was compounded by fears of getting things wrong on her first day at work. Ten years on, Chloe has risen through the ranks at AaGlobal Language Services, playing her part in the significant expansion of the business and along the way passing the benefit of her experience to other young recruits.  Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AaGlobal, said Chloe’s success demonstrates the value of apprentices to businesses.  Chloe said: “I was worried because this was my first job. I’d never had a Saturday job or anything like that. It was all completely new to me and I didn’t  know whether I would be able to do it, how I would cope and what was going to happen. “My message now to anybody considering an apprenticeship would be to go for it. My big concern was that I wouldn’t know how to do certain things and the company would want someone with experience but it’s not like that at all. “It’s about going there and getting the experience then training up while you do the job. I’m still using the skills I learned 10 years ago.” Chloe was 18 when she joined AaGlobal in summer 2015 after leaving Wyke College. She said at the time that she didn’t want to commit to three years of university study so instead decided to look for a business admin apprenticeship. Chloe recalled: “I hadn’t heard of AaGlobal at the time but I did some research after I was told I had an interview and soon after that I started working as a business admin apprentice within the interpreting department.” Tasks included assigning interpreters, speaking to them and to clients, and handling the bookings. The work involved regular communication by phone and email and, with the ongoing support of the management team, Chloe’s success provided a platform for her to progress to more senior roles. She worked on service delivery, looking more at how the company can enhance its services for clients, and then on improving the overall quality of the business. In 2024 Chloe moved into compliance, dealing with such matters as accreditations and ISO. Her current role is Quality & Compliance Manager. Over the years Chloe has witnessed first-hand the growth of a company which has nearly doubled its head count and its footprint, while the number of linguists has increased from 6,000 to more than 15,000 covering over 500 languages and dialects. Chloe said: “When I started we had about 25 people and we were in an office next to the marina with our head office in Worcester. Now the head office is in Hull and we have more than 40 people in the heart of the city centre. “It has been really interesting to see how the business has grown, working with more clients in a wider range of sectors. We have really increased our public sector work over the years and we are still strong in the private sector. At the same time, AaGlobal still has the same heart, supporting, building up and taking opportunities, which is what they did with me. “The job is really satisfying and the company has given me the opportunity to explore a lot of areas across our business, identify what I enjoy doing and how I can get to know my strengths. We have a good track record for developing apprentices.” Chloe’s experience and the support of colleagues at AaGlobal has also helped in her life away from the office. She said: “I’m 28 now and in the process of buying my first home. From being very shy I’ve definitely come out of my shell. Coming here as an apprentice has helped me to do that and I’d recommend it to others even if they don’t know which sector they want to work in.” Kirk Akdemir, who founded AaGlobal more than 30 years ago, marked the anniversary with a special presentation at the company’s office in King Edward Street, Hull. He said: “We opened our first office in Hull in 2012 after expanding here from Worcester and Chloe was appointed three years later as one of our first apprentices as we strengthened our presence on our way to establishing Hull as our head office. “As we have secured more private sector clients, in addition to our extensive public sector work, our team has continued to grow, apprentices have played an important part in that and we have been very pleased with them. The government’s commitment to invest in apprenticeships is good news for young people exploring their options, and for businesses. “Chloe’s experience shows that the apprenticeship route is a good opportunity for young people from the local area and they can make a big contribution. The last 10 years have absolutely flown and Chloe’s memories of those first-day fears are a big help when it comes to supporting other young recruits.”

  AaGlobal initially promoted its professional translation and interpreting services on digital billboards in Hull. Now the company is targeting international business travellers directly by using the airport’s screens in a 12-month deal which will run until summer 2026 – marking the 15th anniversary of AaGlobal’s arrival in Hull. Kirk Akdemir, CEO of AaGlobal, said: “Having established ourselves as the market leader in our region we feel now is the right time to reach out to a wider business audience with our services. “The initial digital campaign reflects how we have grown and developed as a business since expanding to Hull in 2011, investing in technology and taking a more innovative approach. “The partnership with Humberside Airport takes that further and as we enter 2026 will mark an important milestone for AaGlobal. It also enables us to work closely with another key player in the region’s international business community.” AaGlobal is the major partner of the International Trade Centre within Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce. Humberside Airport’s services include three flights a day to Schiphol, with connections worldwide. AaGlobal was a private sector specialist when the company was launched by Kirk in Worcester more than 30 years ago. Since then the expansion to Hull has driven significant growth in public sector work.  Hull is now AaGlobal’s head office and the workforce has grown from the two people who opened the Hull office to a team of more than 40, with the number of linguists operating worldwide having increased from 6,000 to more than 15,000, covering over 500 languages and dialects. Kirk said: “The public sector is still the biggest part of our client base but our private sector track record remains strong. We have worked at a very high level with many global brands in the past and this will help us build on that by connecting with a wider audience of international business travellers and particularly those flying between Humberside and Schiphol and onwards to more than 150 destinations. “We want to make more businesses aware of what we do by highlighting the importance to businesses of using professional language services when they are working to deliver their own high calibre services to international clients.  “Our approach is always to support the highest level of communications in international languages and in the often detailed, technical and specific languages of business.” Chantelle Akdemir, AaGlobal’s Business Development Manager, said: “We are aware there are so many businesses in the Humber region operating internationally and travelling through Humberside Airport and we want to let them know there is a translation company in Hull which works to the level of professionalism which matches their own. “The campaign in July was the first time we had used digital media to promote the company. We will monitor the impact as we progress and we may look at extending the campaign to other airports in the UK and across other forms of media. It’s important to consider adopting different media for different audiences – the whole process started with the launch of our print brochure at the Chamber Expo.” Tracey Frankish-Creed, Business Partners & Marketing Executive at Humberside Airport, said: “We are pleased to welcome AaGlobal, a local business with global reach, on board at Humberside Airport.  Together we are helping connect the Humber region to the world”.

Great communication is at the heart of every business, so it makes sense to take the time to get it right. With more organisations operating on a global scale, languages can prove to be a barrier to success. However, this is where professional interpreters can step in to help smooth communication. Interpreting services, like AaGlobal, provide businesses and charities with skilled language professionals to build trust and run efficient meetings. Linguists don’t just act as translators of the spoken word; they are there to help you make the most of meetings and conferences. Trust and efficiency are key for businesses to succeed. Interpreters combine language skills and cultural knowledge to achieve brilliant results in your meetings. Whether you are negotiating for new business or communicating with global employees, building trust is essential. Showing understanding builds confidence, which is indispensable for any business. A little respect goes a long way. Providing the relevant interpreters in your meetings shows your business partners that you respect their language and culture. It demonstrates that you are willing to go that extra step towards clear and effective communication. Providing an interpreter, or multiple interpreters, if necessary, shows your business is a thoughtful one. Whether you provide a telephone or face-to-face interpreter, it creates a great impression that will be remembered. Supplying talented linguists demonstrates professionalism and your commitment to a long-standing relationship. It is important to understand the etiquette of different cultures to show respect and understanding. And it’s not just about the words we speak; it’s also how we conduct ourselves. In Britain, we like to start meetings with small talk about the weather or what we got up to at the weekend. However, in other cultures, chitchat is sometimes frowned upon. For example, in France and Germany, they prefer to keep business and personal life separate. And in India, personal questions are expected, right up to asking you how much money you earn! Some countries, like China, are very strict about having face-to-face meetings. However, we Brits are now used to meeting via telephone or video conferencing. In the UAE, you might even see participants taking other calls and replying to messages or emails during your meeting. By recognising these cultural differences, we can build trust by showing respect and tolerance. Professional interpreters are experienced in cultural nuances and help guide you through a business minefield. Different cultures don’t only behave differently; our communication styles and the words we use are also extremely distinctive. There is more to interpreting than the sentences; a word we might use in Britain might have a very different meaning elsewhere. That’s the beauty of languages, but it’s also tricky! Don’t let these nuances trip you up. Particularly in a large environment with people from different countries, you’ll need to be careful. Using conference interpreting services, pick up on the intricacies of languages to make sure you don’t get lost in translation. Businesses are more effective with streamlined and productive practices, so you don’t want language to get in the way. You can get the job done with better communication. Interpreters are there to smooth the way. It is completely understandable that meetings or conferences with multiple language speakers in attendance can result in misunderstandings. Confusion and delays can really hamper proceedings and waste valuable time. No one likes meetings that are longer than they need to be. Professional interpreters can relay what is being said in real-time and streamline your meetings. They are on hand to clarify what is being said and highlight important details to keep your meetings flowing. By making sure that everyone understands each other, no matter what language they speak, avoids mistakes or follow up meetings. Trying to communicate with others who may not have the same first language as you can be difficult and sometimes frustrating. No matter how hard you try, your message can be misunderstood. This can lead to long-winded explanations and, at worst, can cause offence. By providing a trained interpreter, you can ensure that messages are communicated clearly and concisely. This means that communication is efficient and, most importantly, effective. Interpreters have a lot of experience working in these environments and understand how to keep meetings and presentations moving and on point. Trying to keep up with what is being said in a professional setting can be difficult at the best of times. However, when delegates are speaking multiple languages in your meeting, it can be mentally exhausting for participants. The main aim of a meeting or conference is to keep people focused and engaged, and an interpreter can help with that. You don’t want to have to worry about whether you are going to understand what is being said in a meeting. So, an interpreter can take on that burden, leaving you free to focus on the content of your meeting. Whenever you hold a meeting or conference, your main aim is to make sure that your goals are achieved efficiently. Now that more and more businesses are operating in or with multiple countries, the need for interpreters is becoming more important. AaGlobal has over 30 years of experience providing top-quality interpreters to keep communication clear and concise. Not only that, but we only use native speakers who understand cultural nuances to keep communication respectful, which helps build strong relationships. With a pool of over 15,000 linguists, we can help you get the most out of your meetings. We’ll ensure your conferences build on the success of your business. Contact us today to arrange as many interpreters as you need.